EDITOR’S NOTE: PETS+ is the media partner for GROOM’D, the annual grooming-focused pet trade show presented by World Pet Association. The PETS+ team will be reporting live from Atlanta, GA, Friday through Sunday. To not miss any of the action, like our Facebook page and sign up for the daily GROOM’D ebulletin at petsplusmag.com/subscribe.
Holly Baker has more than 20 years of grooming experience, teaches creative grooming, and is a Certified Global Educator for Opawz. In her session, “Adding Creative Color to Your Grooming Services,” attendees learned the first steps to offering color services in their salons and watched a live demonstration.
During her session, Holly Baker gave attendees a how-to in adding creative color to their menu of services.
Baker began by explaining that anyone who wants to offer color services needs to understand how factors such as a dog’s skin, coat type, and diet can affect how color appears and lasts. She also emphasized that new pet cosmetologists should be able to explain proper color care to pet parents and set clear expectations about how long the color will last.
She also shared an overview of the pricing structure she uses in her own salons when calculating quotes, noting that she recommends quoting on the higher end to account for unexpected situations.
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Baker also showed the Service Liability Release Form she has clients sign before applying color to their dogs. The form confirms that clients understand the following:
- Product Safety: She uses pet-safe, non-toxic dyes formulated for animals and applies them in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- Pet Health Disclosure: Confirms their pet is in good health and that any medical conditions, skin sensitivities, allergies, medications and behavioral concerns have been disclosed.
- Coat Condition and Results: Color’s appearance and vibrancy may vary based on coat type, color, texture and at-home care.
- Color Longevity: May vary based on at-home care and that fading can occur due to bathing, sun exposure, natural skin oils, and normal wear.
- Grooming Process
- Aftercare Responsibility
- Liability Release Clause
Baker said that groomers who are new to using color should start with smaller, simpler areas such as the ears or tail. These areas process quickly, and the color placement is more forgiving for beginners. She also recommended starting with a single color in an ombré style.
Another beginner-friendly option is using stencils to apply color to a small section of the coat. For example, she suggested using a shamrock stencil with green dye for St. Patrick’s Day or a heart stencil with red dye for Valentine’s Day.
Baker invited attendees to the front of the room so they could watch her up close as she applied color to a dog.
She also emphasized the importance of proper scheduling when starting to offer color services. Groomers may want to dedicate a specific day of the week or a daily block of time for color appointments. Because the process can be messy and time-sensitive, it’s important to plan ahead, and she used the example of making sure other coworkers aren’t using the tub at the same time that it’s time to rinse out the dye.
Read more PETS+ coverage of GROOM’D 2026.
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